Is the Tesla Model 3 Hype Valid?

The automotive market, to be quite frank, is utterly booming. The technology surrounding the automotive industry is increasing exponentially which is seeing many new and exciting cars launching into the very near future. Until now, electric cars have not really hit the public by storm. The lack of range and the non-sporty looks have turned away most people from using them. However, out of the dust comes Tesla, who bring a range of electric cars that have the range of petrol cars and the looks and performance of sporty cars. With their latest unveiling, the Tesla Model 3, already there have been around half a million people put down orders for the car from just seeing it. With each deposit around $1,000, Tesla have literally gained half a billion dollars from releasing a new car.

Wow.

So is the Model 3 hype valid? Is it really worth getting excited around?

As I have already said, the main problem with electric cars is one of four things: range, looks, performance and charging:

1. People want a electric car for which they won’t get nervous driving it thinking it will run out of charge. The Nissan Leaf is great around town. However, for long distances beyond 100 miles, it will run out of charge and that is the case with all electric cars at the moment.
2. There is a distinctive look to electric cars which tells everyone that it is an electric car. For the majority of people, this is not the coolest of looks. Considering that the aesthetics of a car play a huge role in selling it, the looks of electric cars need to improve to come across more sporty.
3. The performance of electric cars, well, there isn’t any. This is because the motors are not for high power applications but for small cars to go around town. There has not yet been a mainstream electric car with speeds to match against hot hatchbacks, super cars and more.
4. People don’t want to wait half a day for their electric car to charge. The quicker the charging, the better.

The excitement around Tesla is that they have pretty much answered all of these points with the Tesla Model S and the upcoming Tesla Model 3:

1. The top range of a Tesla Model S is beyond 300 miles which puts it right in the middle with what some petrol cars are achieving. The Tesla Model 3 is aiming to achieve 215 miles per charge which is plenty enough for what people use daily (or even weekly for that matter).
2. Tesla cars are cool – there is no other way to put it. The looks are sharp, fresh and ooze luxury. It is something many people would love to be seen driving just on looks alone.
3. The Tesla Model S had the performance to beat anything. Classed as the fastest sedan ever, it could do 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds in ludicrous mode. The Tesla Model 3 is expected to do something similar with the base model expected to reach 60mph from stationary in under 6 seconds – still very quick.
4. Tesla is leading the way with charging. The supercharges can pretty much charge most Tesla cars within the hour or two. For many people, this is exactly what they want.

But the hype around the Tesla Model 3 isn’t just for the above reasons. It is also for the price of it coming at $35,000. For many, this is actually affordable and for many, they will buy it. Car companies are nervous about the hype around the Model 3 and rightly so because it is going take the market by storm.